BANGALORE, India (CNS)—Indian Catholic officials have demanded action
against a legislator in Karnataka state for publicly urging people to
"weed out Christianity" from the country.

"The government should take exemplary action against him. It reflects
poorly on the government," Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore,
chairman of the Karnataka regional bishops' council, told Catholic News
Service Aug. 18 after faxing protest letters to the state governor,
chief minister and National Human Rights Commission.

Prahlad Remani, a legislator from Khanapur and a member of the pro-Hindu
Bharatiya Janata Party, known as BJP, said during an Aug. 15 Indian
Independence Day celebration: "People must remain watchful about the
spread of these seeds of Christianity, and followers of any religion,
including Hindus and others, must weed out Christianity. ... If these
seeds spread, then our nation will be under danger."

Remani was quoted by a local daily lambasting Christianity as a "foreign" faith.

Nearly 5,000 Christians marched through Khanapur Aug. 18 "to protest the
speech degrading Indian Christians and questioning their patriotism,"
said Father Luis Gonsalves, a Belgaum diocesan priest who coordinated
the protests. He told CNS that dozens of Hindus and Muslims also joined
in the nearly two-mile march to a local government office.

"Unless the government takes proper action on our complaint, we will be
forced to undertake more protests," said Father Gonsalves.

In his letter, Archbishop Moras pointed out that even after the
controversy broke out, Remani reiterated to the media that he "stands by
his statement, and his commitment to weeding out Christians will
continue by the way of a campaign against Christians."

"Christians are an integral part and parcel of this country. Nobody can question our patriotism," the archbishop said.

Christianity in India is traced to St. Thomas the Apostle, who is said
to have arrived on the coast of southern Kerala state in A.D. 52 in the
company of spice merchants from the Middle East.

"It is absolutely deplorable for an elected representative to make such
an inflammatory speech and, too, on Independence Day," Father Babu
Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, told
CNS.

Father Joseph said the bishops' conference was "already exploring legal and other options."

"Stringent punishment should be handed out in this case to ensure that
people who swear by the constitution to promote harmony do not dare to
call for weeding out a community," he added.